TIMARU ANGLERS’ CLUB

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20851, 6 October 1937, Page 5

TIMARU ANGLERS’ CLUB

To the Editor of “ The Timaru Herald

Sir,—This club held a meeting of anglers at Timaru on September 18 and I understand the meeting was intended to be an annual smoke concert. Judging from the general discussions that took place, I should say it was a meeting called together to place the Acclimatisation Society on its trial. Now. sir, certain questions were put to the meeting:—Reducing the minimum size of trout allowed to be taken, reducing the bag limit, and prohibiting the use of worms for bait in the South Canterbury District. Now in the first place I agree that 15 trout per day is enough fish for any angler to be allowed to take. The minimum size, well, I think that is a matter for discussion at the annual meeting of anglers and not for the Anglers’ Club to say. As regards worm fishing, what I think is let Anglers’ Club members practise what they preach, and (first) before they offer any opinions on the prohibition of worms, form themselves into a purely fly-fishing club and not an anglers’ club, for it is assured there are a number of members in the club who are worm fishers. Therefore it behoves them before they start to dictate to other anglers to practise what they preach. One of their number, Mr W. Kidd, made an objection to the passing of resolutions on the above questions, and said they as a club were there purely in the social side of the questions, and not in the administrative side. Now, sir, I agree with him and I dare say a good many more do, but we have a society who have the affairs of the anglers of South Canterbury held in trust, and who are responsible to those anglers at the annual meeting, which is held to give such anglers an opportunity to say whether or not the society is doing its work to their satisfaction. Mr Fox, the chairman of the club, said there were 90 members, it was reported that the attendance at the club’s annual smoko on September 18 was 40. Therefore, seeing that according to the society’s annual report there are 1000 license holders, can the Timaru Anglers’ Club

(not fly fishing club) claim to voice the opinion of a majority of those 1000 anglers? That is to say whether or not the worm will or will not be allowed as bait. The Timaru Anglers’ Club is being treated very well by the society who allow them to qatch in a competition as many fish as they like in one day. But other anglers have to keep to a bag limit. In conclusion, sir, I may say that for a minority to try and force on a majority is pure selfishness.—l am, etc., GARDEN FLY.